Father Grigori
by Goat Man Jr
Summary: A story about Father Grigori prior to, and during the events of Half Life 2.


Father Grigori was preaching to the citizens of Ravenholm, it was a friendly, cheery town, despite it's name. The citizens were very friendly, always willing to lend a land, the town had heard of the combine invasions but knew they weren't able to help towards it, and instead continued to live their lives, tune in on the radio to see what has happened recently amongst the world, and as they were doing now, pray for the wounded, after hearing that Earth had no choice but to surrender. "… And may our spirits reach out to the punished souls of our brave soldiers, for they have sacrificed their lives for the peace of which we live in now, amen" Father Grigori preached, an echo of amen repeating through the church.

A low whistle could be heard outside the church, growing steadily louder as it grew nearer and nearer, Father Grigori listened closely and realised it was coming from above, and following were numerous more whistling sounds, it spooked him, he sensed something bad was going to happen. Suddenly with a loud cacophonous crash, a mysterious pod smashed into the ground right before Father Grigori, pointing outwards to the crowd. Everyone sat silent as the mysterious projectile opened up, and what looked to be a blob of flesh with 4 legs clambered to the top, it almost looked somewhat adorable with the right mind approach, until it leaped at the group of church goers, latching onto one's head as more climbed out and leaped onto more and more people's heads, more projectiles could be heard smashing into the isolated, peaceful city of Ravenholm.

Father Grigori charged through the crowds, stampeding outside and racing down a side alley to his left, charging through a door and slamming it shut behind him as he heard the mysterious creatures leap endlessly at the door. He moved down the stairs hidden behind the door quickly, moving into the town's sewer system, he charged immediately to the right, moving along the tunnel for about 300m before coming to the right ladder leading up to his street. Being such a small town they never felt the need to name their streets, everyone knew everyone at Ravenholm. He clambered up the ladder and peaked out of the manhole, and saw no immediate threat, though the cover did seem a bit heavier than usual, he slid it off the sewer opening and with it slid a head crab, which turned towards him and leaped, missing and falling down into the sewers, where it leaped helplessly at Father Grigori. Father Grigori went up his street about 20m before coming to the entrance to his home, he hurriedly unlocked his door then quietly closed it behind him, he moved a book shelf in front of one window as it was besides the window, and hurriedly propped a table against the door, moving only a frail metal shelf in front of the second window, before hurrying up the stairs of his home. He reached his room and inside it was a hunting rifle with quite a numerous supply of rounds, stashed inside a locker at the foot of his bed, on most occasions it was to be used as a rifle for hunting small game, but situations can sometimes alter what's necessary for an items use. It would seem Ravenholm was about to take a bad turn.

3 Months:

Grigori remained crouched in an isolated room, writing with the blood of his recent kills, the same message over and over: I WILL REPENT LORD.

Once the blood ran dry he hurried away from the room, checking his traps remained undisturbed, waiting for an unsuspecting "Zombie" to traipse into.

6 months:

Ravenholm was now in a state of eternal darkness, the sun hadn't risen for several months now, it would seem this was to remain a hell for one for a while. Grigori turned the gas valve, starting the gas on the mass incineration grave, and lit a match and tossed it into the grave, triggering the blaze, inside of the blaze a man nailed to a cross was visible, something Grigori had done as memories of his time as a carer, when he never killed a sentient being. Laughing manically he continued to move through the town, occasionally stopping to take a shot at a Zombie, when suddenly a zombie from which he hadn't aimed at was killed.

Grigori halted for a moment, when suddenly a saw disk flew out from the sawmill, straight into the torso of a Zombie, slicing it in half, and out trot a man in a strange orange suit, carrying a mysterious device that glowed orange. Suddenly a bucket of paint flew from a stray corner and hung in front of the strange device, seemingly held in place by some unseen force. The strange man then used the device to fling the paint into the head of a Zombie, coating it in white paint. It seemed he had a sense of humour as well a combat mastery. Grigori called down to the man in the orange suit. "Welcome brother, to Ravenholm! Meet me at the plaza and I will give you more instructions!"

Grigori walked on inside and as he began moving for the plaza from building to building, he heard blades spinning as one of his traps were activated one by one.

Standing on scaffolding above the mass incineration pile at the plaza, Grigori spoke to the strange man. "The 3 men of the bible walked through the fire, Guarded by a 4th mysterious individual, are you that 4th person? Are you immune to the fires of hell?"

The man looked quizzically at Grigori, before following the edges of the fire to a gas switch, where he calmly turned off the gas, permitting him access to the warehouse behind it which contained the generators.

"Drats" cursed Grigori, who proceeded to continue on, laughing manically.

The man had just gotten past an electrical trap placed by Grigori when he reached the roof top, Grigori on an adjacent roof, slightly higher up. "Well done brother! Be careful not to waltz into my traps, there are already enough ways to die." He spoke, disappearing down a set of stairs, with his trademark laugh echoing up into the air.

The man had made it very far, but he was stopped in the middle of his tracks as a silhouette leap from roof top to roof top, howling in a horrific, tortured way, Grigori sat in a building, he had a reserve shotgun for the traveller, he fired shots from faithful Annebelle, his rifle. His time in solitude had led him to name objects that were of great importance to him. The man emerged from a rooftop exit of the adjacent building, Grigori spoke to him there; "Be careful brother, these aren't as tame as the others! Take this," Grigori tossed the shotgun down to the strange man "Aim for the head!"

Grigori raced off, laughing as he returned to the church, where he stopped mid jog, as memories flooded his system, many of his friends had died here, this place held nothing but bad memories for him, and scrawled in blood all over the walls was the same message: I AM SORRY LORD, FORGIVE ME.

Grigori took a moment to stop by into the confession booth, where even if no one was able to hear, he confessed of the sins to the murders he had committed, even if it was to cleanse their spirits of the taint.

Grigori walked out of the back door of the church to a grassy area, where an old transport lift remained, the strange man was waiting on the roof where the transport lift would arrive, Grigori stood at the end to trigger it. "Brother, I'm going to send the lift, but when I do it will cause a lot of noise, expect company!" Grigori shouted, laughing at the end despite his recent experience.

As the lift went upwards, The faster zombies ascended the pipes of the building, charging at the strange man, who bat them away with a crowbar every time.

Not to long later the man was on the lift and heading down, where Grigori was already speaking; "Ok brother not far now, we just have to cut through the graveyard then we'll be at the mine, that is where you will continue from brother!" Grigori announced, already moving along to the graveyard with the man following without a sound.

A Rough looking fence made of thick iron bars with spikes ontop fenced off the graveyard that they were approaching, it creeped out the strange follower. Grigori led the follower on through the entry gate, quickly disposing of any opposition, They paused halfway through at an eerie looking crypt, Grigori Picking off individual targets, but for every one they killed another came. "Brother, it would seem you have to make a break for it, I'll come with you, but my place is here at Ravenholm, you must continue on your own, I'll cover your escape." Grigori said, already moving to the exit gate.

The follower Continued along after Grigori, opening the gate and turning to hear Grigori final good bye. Grigori slammed the gate behind the follower "Good bye brother, may you carry on as the prophet says" Hey spoke, trailing off with manical laughter, before he shot at the ground beneath him, setting it on fire, but not him on fire, it would seem there was more to Grigori than the follower assumed.


End file.
